At a packed public meeting at the Wilfrid Noyce Centre, the community pledged to walk or cycle journeys that are less than one mile, turn the heating down by one centigrade and properly insulate their homes.

As part of Greening Godalming, a crusade launched by Carrie Anderson and Dr Alan Hamilton, organisations ranging from women’s institutes and church groups to schools and businesses will now have the chance to choose a challenge to champion ahead of an official launch in February.

“The idea is that people take ownership of the tasks, they make them into their own,” Ms Anderson said.

“We are hoping the campaign will really take hold of people’s imaginations and that everyone will get involved.”

Greening aims to reduce Godalming’s overall carbon emissions by encouraging everyone to make small and simple changes.

After the next meeting in February, Ms Anderson and her team will print the eight challenges that Godalming has committed to on cards, and distribute one to each of the town’s 8,600 households.

Each home can tick off the tasks one by one as they do them, and when they are regularly carrying out five or more they can display the card in their window for their neighbours to see.

Ms Anderson and her team will then count up the cards and calculate how much carbon dioxide the initiative has saved the town.

“The campaign is only in its early stages, but so far it is going really well and people are being really supportive,” she said.

“We were impressed by the turnout at the meeting, the whole place was buzzing.”

Dr Hamilton added: “The whole evening had a fantastic atmosphere.

“It was amazing to see so many people in Godalming are motivated to do something about climate change and to see so many new faces.”

Jeremy Hunt, the MP for South West Surrey and the Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, spoke at the meeting and pledged to give the campaign his support.